Reliability
by Hopeakaarme
Summary: Inui knows that even if the odds were in his favour, he might still lose. Character death shounen ai RenInuKai.


Disclaimer: I own very little.

A/N: This is an entry to the **30dogpile** challenge in LiveJournal, the theme being _Gamble_. Implied character death and threesome.

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Reliability

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Inui had always been the best when it came to calculating chances.

Even when faced with the geniuses of various other teams, he never would admit defeat. As far as he was concerned, his data was most complete, his calculations most accurate, his victory most assured in any battle of wits. There were people who relied on him, on the superiority of his data tennis, and he wouldn't let those people down by failing to meet their expectations.

There were two people in particular he never wanted to disappoint. Kaidoh was one, with his unshakable trust in his dear senpai; Renji was another, knowing him through and through and thus more confident in Inui's data than perhaps anybody else. Inui would have done anything in his power not to ever let these two see his data fail.

The more time he spent with the two, the more difficult it became. After all, not even he was perfect. He miscalculated sometimes, did not arrange his data properly enough, predicted wrong in a hurry. However, these mistakes were few and far between, and thus he had managed to keep them from the eyes of his most precious people. Even as every spare moment of his day was spent with one or both of the two, his data remained untouched in its reliability -- as far as they knew, anyway.

Inui genuinely liked calculating the chances of various events. It was both good amusement and great practice, as he often noted, and besides, the brain worked more efficiently if one gave it something to work on. Thus he had also calculated the chances of his getting together with Kaidoh, or with Renji, and, on a moment of sleep-deprived insane genius, even the chances of his getting together with both of them.

Afterwards, Inui was glad he had never told anybody the results of these calculations. He had estimated the chance of the last happening to be almost embarrassingly low -- yet, much to his pleasure, the lowest chance had won.

In all the times of his life -- the times he had secretly named Before Time, Renji Time, Between Time, Kaidoh Time, and Happiest Time -- Inui had never expected to come to a situation where he would find chances unpleasant. Such a thought had honestly never even crossed his mind. After all, calculating chances was what he did best. There was nothing that could make the task seem unattractive to him.

However, as after a sudden collapse and waking up in the hospital he looked at the doctor who had just told him his chances of living to see his next birthday, he was rather tempted to curse all chances forever.

It was hard to face his lovers after this, Renji's serious expression and Kaidoh's wild gaze telling him quite clearly they knew the news all too well. He had smiled at them, reminding them that the chances for his recovery had been relatively good, that he wasn't one to give up without a fight. He would be healthy and well again in just a moment, and then they would go and get that kitten, Kaidoh, yes they would, and be happy they had got off with just a fright. The greatest fright in their entire lives, perhaps, but just a fright nevertheless.

Kaidoh and Renji both took one of his hands, telling him they trusted him, that if he said it would be okay they would believe him. And they did, he could tell, even if there was a hint of fear in their voices they both struggled so very much to conceal. After all, Inui's data was always the most accurate. His data never lied.

Never before in his life had Inui wished so desperately it would be true.

It was a gamble, as Inui well knew from the start. The odds were in their favour, remaining so every time he counted them again, as he did every night when sleep fled from him in his anxiety. He had taken into account every variable, every constant, modifying and adjusting his calculations for the most accurate results, always getting the same kind of answer. During the darkest hours he was reassured by his figures, gaining enough strength from them to make it through the next day, to smile and tell his lovers it would be okay. They did trust his data, didn't they?

It was a gamble, with the highest chance on his side.

However, as Inui well remembered as his uncooperative lips tried in vain to form a few words of goodbye, in gambling, sometimes even the lowest chance might win.


End file.
